


Evergreen

by InspiringNokias (Aureolee)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Drinking, Hunter!Akaashi, Kuroken if you squint, Lumberjack!Bokuto, M/M, Mild Boner, Semi-Dirty Thoughts, a little bit of Suga, akaashi is really pretty, i just really like the thought of akaashi being an archer? he probably looks gorgeous i bet he do, iwaoi if you squint times three
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 17:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7542079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aureolee/pseuds/InspiringNokias
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto shifted, uncomfortable, his nerves on edge with the man’s gaze so uncomfortably piercing. Yet, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man. Transfixed by his beauty, he marveled in being able to see the guy’s face for once. Bokuto felt his spirits drop as he realized with panic that the person was much hotter than he initially thought.</p><p>Grey eyes met wide golden pupils from behind the green foliage, and before Bokuto had time to process what was happening, the man’s arrow was pointed straight at his forehead. The wind blew the hunter’s black messy hair around before he let go of the string, sending the arrow flying straight at Bokuto’s forehead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evergreen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SmolShouyous (EmbershipsStuff)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmbershipsStuff/gifts).



> Hello!! This is my first fic exchange and I'm so excited! I had a ton of fun writing this and I really hope you guys like the end product.

 

He was here again.

Bokuto cautiously stepped through the forest and did his best to make as little noise as possible, his axe bobbing as he walked.

The morning dew of each leaf dripping onto his jeans stained his clothes (which he paid no mind to). He stared straight ahead, his hand holding branches that would otherwise obscure his view.

The man stopped in his tracks and turned around in Bokuto’s general direction.

Bokuto shifted, uncomfortable, his nerves on edge with the man’s gaze so uncomfortably piercing. Yet, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man. Transfixed by his beauty, he marvelled in being able to see the guy’s face for once. Bokuto felt his spirits drop as he realized with panic that the person was much hotter than he initially thought.

Grey eyes met wide golden pupils from behind the green foliage, and before Bokuto had time to process what was happening, the man’s arrow was pointed straight at his forehead. The wind blew the hunter’s black messy hair around before he let go of the string, sending the arrow flying straight at Bokuto’s forehead.

Bokuto yelped and threw himself back, attempting to avoid more arrows, but sharp pain had already begun to blossom on his bicep.

He cursed and sat up, picking out the arrow from the twigs on the ground and waved them at the dark haired man.

_Well this isn’t how I wanted to meet the hot archer._

“Is this yours?” Bokuto shouted awkwardly, unsure of how to react.

The man started and his piercing stare fixated on Bokuto.

“Yes,” he answered in a smooth voice that made Bokuto’s hairs stand on end, “I’m really sorry about that.” He frowned and Bokuto felt the blood rushing to his cheeks.

“You can have it back!” Bokuto frantically gestured to the bone arrow in his hand stained with blood at the tip, desperately trying to divert the attention away from his flushed face.

“Thank you, um,” he looked at Bokuto with both eyebrows slightly elevated.

“Bokuto!” he exclaimed, trying to catch his breath, “Bokuto Koutarou.”

“I’m Akaashi Keiji,” Akaashi pursed his lips.

“I’m really, really sorry about that. Can you come with me so I can help you patch that up?”

Bokuto’s immediately blushed. “No! It’s really alright,” he said, his hand squeezing at the open wound oozing blood.

“It’s clearly not.” Akaashi said, amusement clear in his voice.

Bokuto wanted to scream. He was so beautiful, with the early morning sunshine kissing his skin and giving him an ethereal glow. A breeze swept by and blew his messy black hair to the side. Leaves fluttered down from the nearby trees and landed in a circle around Akaashi, as if there was just some cosmic joke and the universe had been amused with Bokuto’s suffering.

 

-

Bokuto flexed his bandaged bicep with difficulty. The bandage restricted his muscle as he strained against the fabric.

He glanced back at Akaashi who was standing in his kitchen fixing tea before returning his attention to Akaashi’s home.

It was made entirely out of wood, with animal skins sprawled out over the brown walls. A fireplace flickered dimly next to his cushioned chair, setting the room with an orange glow, the flames licking the undersides of the chimney. Miscellaneous bows and arrows were stacked into neat piles on Akaashi’s organized mantelpiece. Some old holiday decorations looked like they had been sitting on the mantelpiece for the longest time.

Bokuto diverted his attention back to Akaashi, two porcelain cups of jasmine tea in his hands.

Akaashi made his way back towards Bokuto.

When Akaashi brushed past him, Bokuto caught the smell of Akaashi, a mix of mint and herbs. It was an intoxicating scent that left Bokuto wanting more, every fiber of his being hungry for another encounter. He wanted to pin him down and finally experience every inch of him, not just his scent and his looks.

He wanted to feel his wrists lenient beneath his, the lean muscle lax as he broke this man down. Very quickly, he stopped his train of thought. Bokuto chastised himself for popping a boner in front of a literal stranger despite how gorgeous he was. He stopped that line of thinking and sat still, trying to focus on something else other than that sculpted ass beneath him, his fingers against toned muscle- he forced himself to stop thinking in general.

Bokuto definitely regretted allowing himself to slip further for this mysterious hot archer. Here he was, a sure boner between his legs in front of a stranger in said hot stranger’s house. Panic seeped through his veins as his nerves overtook him, unsure about what to do.

 

The sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a white glow throughout the whole room from the large window and illuminating Akaashi’s sculpted face.

 _No one_ that _prude should have such a gorgeous face._

He thought of Akaashi’s chiseled face and his thoughts led his eyes lower and lower, from staring at Akaashi’s lean arms, muscles just beneath the skin to his unbelievably chiseled ass. As Bokuto was admiring his _ass_ ets,  he came to the conclusion that Akasshi was quite possibly the closest thing he’d seen to a Grecian god, ethereal body and all. His thoughts spurred his action,  his eyes lowering until it was blatantly obvious Bokuto was checking his ass out.

Bokuto turned his attention back to Akaashi, guilt visible on his face.

As Bokuto snuck a glance at Akaashi, he saw that Lady Luck had decided he had enough misfortunes today and had directed Akaashi’s view at the large window.

 

“Thanks again, Akaashi!” Bokuto cracked a smile and took one of the teacups from Akaashi’s outstretched hands.

“It’s no problem,” Akaashi took his seat across from Bokuto, the oak chair creaking, “It was my fault for shooting anyway.”

“Oh! No, no. I should have probably stepped out of the way, instead of hiding. You probably mistook me for prey.”

“I did. You looked like a cute little owl.”

“Hey! I do _not_ look like a cute owl! I look like a tough one!”

Akaashi chuckled lightly. His laugh was intoxicating, a pleasant sound leaving Bokuto craving for more. He wondered what Akaashi sounded like moaning his name. Would it sound the same as his laugh? Bokuto immediately shook the thought of his head.

“Why would an owl be on the ground in the morning?”

“It could have been injured, making it much of an easier catch.”

“Uh, what do you hunt?” He looked back up at Akaashi’s face.

Akaashi took a sip of his tea before answering, “Well, foxes are rewarding because they’re sly and move much quicker than I originally thought. Squirrels are extremely quick, but easier to get from a further range if you have a clear view. Badgers are a little easier to get, especially if you can find their burrowing holes, but will attack back with much more aggression than other animals. What about you? What brings you here?”

“U-uh,” Bokuto stuttered at the unexpected question, “I chop wood for one of the firewood companies. It’s not much though.” He rubbed his neck and looked into his tea, his nervous reflection looking back.

“What kind of wood burns the best?” Akaashi leaned in slightly.

“There are a lot of different kinds best suited to what you’re looking for!” Bokuto gestured wildly, finally able to talk about something he was knowledgeable on. “If you want something that’s much easier to burn and one that doesn’t produce a long lasting coal bed, things like birch and pine work well. Softwoods like light deciduous trees such as aspen produce a lot of heat. It all works well, especially if they’re a little shorter!”

“Ah, yes. I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi finished the rest of his tea. Bokuto hurried to finish the rest of his as well, and set it on the dark coffee table in between them.

“I should get going!” Bokuto lifted up his axe and grinned at Akaashi, praying that Akaashi wouldn’t notice the slight tent in his crotch. “Thank you so much for everything!”

“Again, it’s not a problem.” Akaashi smiled. Bokuto felt his heart stutter in his chest again.

He stood up to open the door for Bokuto.

Bokuto waved and stepped outside, “See you again soon!”

Akaashi nodded and waited for Bokuto to be out of his sight before closing the door.

Bokuto had never been so glad to be injured.

 

-

 

“You just _left!?_ Like that? You didn’t ask for his cell phone number?!” Kuroo slammed his beer down on the table in mock outrage.

“He lives in the middle of the forest! You wouldn’t think that place has signal would it?” Bokuto protested.

“You could still _talk_ to him! Get familiarized!” Kuroo insisted.

“I’ll ask for his number as soon as you ask Kenma’s for his.”

“That’s not a fair trade,” Kuroo was the one being attacked now, “He finally told me his name after three whole _weeks_ of talking to him!” He put his head in his hands in frustration.

Instead of sympathizing, Bokuto just clapped a hand to Kuroo’s back. “It’s not easy, is it, big guy?” Bokuto’s words felt full in his mouth.

Kuroo looked up from his hands and smirked, “At least Kenma bought me a drink once.”

“Shit.”

“Well, I asked him to,” he admitted. “I was short on money and I really wanted this new ‘Deer Blood’ drink.”

“Ha!” Bokuto shouted, triumphant.

“But hey, it was really out of his character so I still have a chance.”

“He bought you a drink out of pity, but Akaashi made me tea.” Bokuto grinned.

“Hospitality.”

“Possible romance.”

“Pity.”

“ _Possible romance._ ”

“He nailed you in the arm. Even _I_ would have made some stranger some tea if I shot them in the arm.”

Bokuto doubled over on the red bar stool, laughing at the image of Kuroo making tea.

Kuroo smacked Bokuto’s head. They both were flushed from all the alcohol, forming borderline incoherent sentences, but knew they both could understand each other. Afterall, they’ve spent years together drinking and venting about their failed romances to each other, and on top of that working for the same firewood industry.

“Do you guys need anything else?” Suga, the bartender leaned across the cold granite counter to reach for their empty glasses to wash them.

“Get me Kenma’s number,” Kuroo said without hesitation.

Bokuto threw his head back and laughed until he was dizzy then promptly threw up.

 

-

The throbbing headache was steadily drumming inside of Bokuto’s brain. He stopped every couple seconds to lean against the shade of a tree in a hasty attempt to prevent the searing light from causing a  more persistent throb in his temple.

 _I’m never going to drink again,_ Bokuto thought, still slumped against the shade of the tree.

Bokuto groaned with nearly every step he took, his axe weighing a lot heavier than he used to think it was.

It happened when Bokuto stepped in a particularly lumpy part of the grass.

Out of seemingly nowhere, something prickly and tan lifted up from under him, entangling himself with his own limbs and the scratchy rope of the net. His heart was still beating erratically from the shock of being trapped. The surprise of being snatched up and the ground seemingly swallowing him whole left him reeling.

He was caught in a animal trap.

If this was in any other situation, Bokuto would have been hysterical, laughing so hard that tears came to his eyes, but the sudden movement jarred him so badly that it only intensified the persistent headache that was ever-present in the back of his head. It only made him much more irritated and tired.

Bokuto’s legs were tangled together in an extremely uncomfortable position, with his legs crossed over each other tightly, against his chest. One of his arms were pinned behind his back and another one was free to move around, but it wasn’t like there was much space in there anyway.

He twisted around and squirmed, but it only left harsher marks in his skin. Bokuto was getting increasingly frustrated with his attempts of escaping.

Sighing, he tried to curl back up into a more comfortable position so he could fall asleep, which could hopefully help his hangover go away.

 

-

Bokuto heard a faint urgent voice reaching through his dreams and into the tiny consciousness of his brain.

He felt warm hands on his forearm, shaking him gently. Bokuto’s eyes snapped open and he quickly sat, resulting in a slightly less violent throb this time. His breath came in hurried and shallow.

A slightly perturbed Akaashi sat on a stool next to him, looking extremely beautiful even with the apologetic expression on his face. Bokuto felt himself calming down and his heart rate speeding up, both aspects strangely opposing.

Akaashi stood up from his stool, figure leaning over the bed and face hovering over Bokuto’s flustered one.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Akaashi began, before Bokuto sat back up, almost bumping heads with Akaashi before he moved back gracefully, allowing Bokuto space to sit up.

“No! I am! I should have watched where I was going! I was so oblivious!” Bokuto exclaimed, ignoring the slight pain in his head.

Sitting back up, much calmer than he formerly was, he finally had the opportunity to really understand where he was.

All he knew that he was in Akaashi’s bedroom, in Akaashi’s _bed._ More prize winning coats were hung up over the walls, with miscellaneous pictures on his tan nightstand table next to the fluffy bed that Bokuto was sitting on. The flooring and walls were identical to what it looked like in Akaashi’s other rooms. He groaned and rubbed his head.

“I shouldn’t have let that trap go unattended. I went to set other traps instead of watching over it, so by the time I found you, the sun was at it’s peak,” Akaashi bit his lip and Bokuto’s face heated up even further. Bokuto wasn’t sure if it was entirely unintentional, but Akaashi had looked seductive biting his lips like that.

Bokuto wanted to know what they felt like on his own lips.

He quickly shook the thought out of his head.

“So how did you, uh, bring me back here, Akaashi?”

Akaashi actually blushed. The tanned skin of his face was dusted with pink as he bashfully avoided eye contact with Bokuto.

He flicked his dark eyes back up at Bokuto’s golden ones before quickly saying, “I just uh, carried you back here.”

“Woah! All by yourself!? I’m a pretty huge man! I’m impressed, Akaashi!” Bokuto said.

“Well I can’t be weak if I hunt animals.” The corners of Akaashi’s lips lifted up into the tiniest impressions of a smile. Bokuto pursed his lips and wanted to curl up under Akaashi’s sheet covers. For goodness sake, he was _in Akaashi’s bed._

Speaking of which, he wondered what Akaashi smelled like, and when Akaashi went to sleep today, if he would smell a bit of Bokuto’s presence.

Akaashi stood up from his stool again. “Oh, I need to make tea.” He made his way across the room to the kitchen.

Once he was out of Bokuto’s sight, he quickly lifted one out of four of Akaashi’s pillows and shamefully sniffed one of them.

He turned beet red and quickly stuffed the pillow back where he found it.

Akaashi smelled both what he expected to and what he didn’t. There was the predicted smell of early morning mountains and faint traces of laundry detergent. Then there was the surprising smell of lemons and... sugar, was it? There was a faint scent of something sweet lingering under the covers.

Akaashi returned holding a small plastic tray with a two teacups and a white teapot laid out on it. He handed one over to Bokuto and he took it without meeting Akaashi’s eyes, still embarrassed about the whole sniffing thing he just did.

He stretched out on Akaashi’s bed after grinning at him, the smile not quite reaching his eyes.

Bokuto noticed a slight stiffness in his calf from stretching out. Puzzled, he pushed the blue bed covers off his legs and looked at his right leg.

“Oh! Thank you for wrapping it up, Akaashi! Was my leg bleeding?”

“Yeah, it was from the roughness of the ropes, but only slightly. It was the least I could do after injuring you twice already, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi looked back up, ears slightly pink.

“No!” Bokuto waved his hands, “Again, I should have been more careful. I never watch where I’m going!”

“I shouldn’t have left it open without watching the trap. People walk around these woods often and I really should have been more careful,” Akaashi paused then began to laugh softly. They’ve been through this kind of conversation to the point where it was comical.

Akaashi’s fist came up to his mouth he laughed, his eyes squeezing shut and dimples appearing on the side of his tan cheeks.

His laugh was breathy and a little embarrassed. Bokuto felt the tug on his heartstrings, both painful and sweet.

_I want to make you all mine._

“Ah, Bokuto-san, your phone is ringing.” Akaashi got out of his seat and grabbed Bokuto’s vibrating phone off the table. It was blasting a loop of the chorus of “Who Let the Dogs Out.”

This was the most inconvenient timing. Bokuto flushed with embarrassment and took the phone from Akaashi’s hand.

“Hey,” a familar voice barked out from the other side.

“Meet me on the northern side of the woods.” Bokuto heard Iwaizumi sigh loudly, “Kuroo got caught in an animal trap.” He thought he heard Kuroo yelling on the other side of the line.

Bokuto exchanged glances with Akaashi.

“We’ll be right there Iwaizumi.”

 

-

 

By the time they got there, the sun was at its peak.

Kuroo was aimlessly dangling around in the net, pouting. The net was attached to one of the higher branches of the pine. Iwaizumi was standing under it, scowling and prodding at Kuroo with enough force to make Kuroo yelp.

Meanwhile, Bokuto was laughing so hard he had to squat. He snapped a picture and sent it to their group chat.

Akaashi stifled his laughter, but still apologized profusely. Iwaizumi grinned and waved it off.

“Nah, this is really funny, it’s fine, but help me get him out anyway. He’s beginning to look anxious. Probably needs to take a piss.”

Kuroo grunted and shifted from his uncomfortable spot in the net.

Bokuto had stood up now, and was watching Akaashi begin to climb the pine. He easily pulled himself onto the branch that was attached to his animal trap.

“Okay, Bokuto-san, catch him please,” Akaashi fluidly sliced the net off the branch. Kuroo promptly began screaming once he began to fall and landed heavily on Bokuto and Iwaizumi.

Akaashi laughed softly and easily slid back down. The trio stood up, grumbling and shaking dirt off their clothes.

“I should have been watching the net again, but Bokuto-san was caught in one as well, so I had to help him out of that one,” Akaashi had an apologetic look on his face.

“AkaAAshi!” Bokuto pouted.

“He did?!” Kuroo yelled and clapped Bokuto’s back, “Nice job!”

“He set a trend. I’m next,” Iwaizumi said, apprehensive.

Kuroo cackled, but quickly settled down. “I need to take a piss,” he said, before scrambling off to the bushes.

“Alright, but remember to be back at the shipping station by tomorrow morning!”  Iwaizumi called after him. “I’ll be heading back my way, too.” As on cue, his phone rang.

“What is it, Shittykawa?” He barked into it, seemingly arguing with the person on the other side of the phone. Iwaizumi waved goodbye to Bokuto and Akaashi before jogging back in the opposite direction.

Left with nothing to do, Bokuto began scaling the same tree that Akaashi climbed earlier.

He pulled himself onto one of the highest branches of the pine and whistled through his teeth, the high pitched sound reverberating through the woods.

“Bokuto-san? What are you doing?” Akaashi looked up. Bokuto laughed and swung his legs over the branch so he was sitting normally. “The view up here looks amazing!”

And he wasn’t wrong. In the middle of spring, each tree was painted a rich shade of green, with the soft blue sky contrasting against the deep greens of the woods. The treesBirds fluttered aimlessly around the sky, seemingly looping in and out of clouds, chirping along to their own song.

When Bokuto looked back down from the sky, Akaashi was already perched on a branch staring into the sky, the white and blue reflecting in his dark eyes. This time Bokuto could gaze into his eyes up close, really looking at Akaashi.

And he was breathtakingly beautiful. The more Bokuto looked at him, the more he realized that there was so much more to appreciate. He drank in every single detail of Akaashi - from the angle of his nose, his fallen eyelash sitting on his cheek, and most of all his pale pink lips which  slightly parted as he breathed in and out.

Bokuto lightly brushed off the stray eyelash on Akaashi’s face. He felt like his breath was stuck in his throat and like he was floating a hundred feet above the ground.

Akaashi gently caught Bokuto’s hand as it fell away from his face and held it in his own.

“Bokuto-san..?” A faint blush dusted his cheeks and Bokuto felt his heart stutter again.

“Keiji, is it okay if I kiss you?” Bokuto whispered, barely audible, but Akaashi had heard anyway, and that was all that mattered.

Akaashi’s ears were bright red and he squeezed Bokuto’s hands tightly.

“Yes, please,” he breathed before tentatively leaning in, meeting in the middle with Bokuto, eyelashes touching.

His lips touched Bokuto’s softly, barely touching, and they separated. They blushed and came back together again, with a little less hesitation. Their noses bumped and their eyelashes lightly brushed against each other. The softness of Akaashi’s lips surprised Bokuto.  He never knew lips were this soft. He tasted like vanilla and custard bread in contrast to his scent. Bokuto breathed it all in, finally having the opportunity to touch Akaashi.

When they parted again, they were breathing hard. Bokuto was giddy. He squeezed Akaashi’s hands again.

“Keiji, I love you so much.” Bokuto looked down and smiled at their intertwined hands.

“Bokuto-san...”

“I think about you a lot, you know?” Bokuto chuckled and lifted one of Akaashi’s hands to his lip, brushing his lips across the back of Akaashi’s smooth hand.

Akaashi looked adorable surprised and extremely red.

“I love you too, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi looked into Bokuto’s eyes and said it without any hesitation.

Bokuto grinned and squeezed Akaashi’s hands again.

“All right!” He whooped.

“Let’s get onto the ground before you celebrate, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi suggested.

They slid off the branches together and landed heavily on the ground.           

As soon as their feet touched the dirt, Bokuto laughed with glee and swept Akaashi off the ground, holding him by his hips. He tossed Akaashi into the air and caught him again, before putting him back on the ground.

Akaashi staggered when he was set back onto the ground and bought his hand to his mouth, laughing.

Bokuto grinned widely and grabbed Akaashi’s left hand, chatting animatedly as they strolled back to Akaashi’s house, birds singing and the world glowing.

Through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, their love will always be evergreen.

  


**Author's Note:**

> This fic was beta-ed by matomin and hyunjae-nim  
> Most of all, I thank plugin-exe for always motivating me and this really could not be done without her at all, for helping me edit on top of giving me helpful suggestions!!
> 
> In case you were wondering, the way Akaashi had carried Bokuto back to his house was carrying him bridal style.


End file.
